Today, April 30, marks 12 years since the Minnesota Timberwolves closed out a first-round playoff win over the Denver Nuggets. The Wolves were the No. 1 seed, while the Nuggets were the No. 8 seed. In the series-clinching game, the Wolves won 102-91.
Let’s skip together down memory lane and review the series.
Garnett won MVP during the 2003-04 season and brought his mojo into this series against the Nuggets. In five games, he averaged 25.8 points, 14.8 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and one steal per game. He shot 45.4 percent from the field and 72.1 percent from the free-throw line.
If anyone needed to be convinced Garnett was the NBA during the regular season, this series was just the icing on top of the cake.
It was the rookie season for All-Star Carmelo Anthony. Anthony averaged 15 points and 8.3 rebounds in four games but did not play in Game 5 due to a sprained left knee.
Winning the series marked Minnesota’s first playoff series win in team history. Previous to that series, the team had lost in the first round in seven consecutive seasons.
Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell were pretty great in the series. Not on KG’s level, but still pretty impressive. Cassell averaged 20.6 points per game, while shooting 48 percent from the field and 50 percent (10-for-20) from the 3-point line.
Sprewell was just as impressive, averaging 19.8 points per game while shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 56 percent (15-for-21) from the 3-point line.
Remember Voshon Lenard? He attended the University of Minnesota. Shooting guard.
Well, believe it or not, he was Denver’s leading scorer, averaging 17 points per game. This team was in a limbo. It wasn’t Anthony’s team yet, but there aren’t really any stars to step up for Denver.
By winning the series, the Wolves set up a highly-anticipated second-round series against the four-seeded Sacramento Kings. Chris Webber, Mike Bibby, Peja, Vlade. Let’s go!
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